LOGIC PRO X: IS IT THE RIGHT DAW FOR YOU?

A quick look at the DAWs available today, and you’ll see more than 10 of them lined up at every vendor. You’ll find familiar names like Logic, Cubase, Ableton Live and newer entrants like Presonus’ Studio One. With such a massive range of options at the music producer’s disposal, how do you choose that one DAW that you’ll stick by (hopefully) through the years?

Well, the bad news is, and I hate to say this, there’s no real straight answer. A good producer can get good results from practically any DAW. Because there is such ambiguity in answering a question like this, I’ll take the easier way and focus on only one DAW. Today we’ll take a look at what makes Logic a good DAW and how you can go about mastering it – is it better to learn yourself, or should you enroll yourself in a dedicated Logic Pro X training course?

PROS

Logic has the best collection of virtual instruments period. You have everything from a piano, an electronic piano, acoustic strings to ethnic flutes like Indian bansuri – at your disposal. You name the instrument – and chances are they have it. This alone makes Logic one of the best DAWs to start with.

Secondly, it is really cheap. At 199 USD, there is practically no other DAW I can think of, that can compete with it.

It is a complete package. What I mean by this is that once you get a copy of Logic, you won’t need to buy any additional plugins for quite some time. Along with the wide range of virtual instruments, Logic is loaded with plenty of audio processors and effects that are industry tested. You’ll find different delays, reverbs, compressors, and eq that are extremely usable.

CONS

Sample Editing. Although with Logic Pro X, you do get flex editors, the feature is lacking in a few departments when compared with rivals Ableton or Fruity Loops. For the layman, that means you have fewer options to mess around with, for example, audio loops or recorded clips. Having said that, this gap is not HUGE.

Mac OS Only. Because it’s made by Apple. Enough said.

HOW TO LEARN LOGIC

“ You can always learn any software on your own. “

Yup. If you are a DIY man or woman, or just prefer learning at your own pace, or don’t have the money to go for a course, there are plenty of resources to learn Logic on your own. You can opt to learn using the manual ( which is not very extensive, unfortunately ), follow a book ( David Nahmani’s Logic Pro X ) or online videos.

The second option is going for a dedicated Logic Pro X training course. The main reason for choosing this option is that learning through a book or online can be tough. You’ll definitely save a lot of time if you have somebody who knows the software in and out and can guide you to using it efficiently. And since time is money, you probably won’t be saving money going the DIY route in the long run.